When you own a small business, one of the biggest challenges is figuring out your marketing.

Typically, small business marketing has to be done on a shoestring budget, often by people who have very little time to do it and know very little about it, while trying to compete with more established brands who already have all this stuff figured out.

As you can see below, the results of a survey from Semrush on small business marketing challenges show exactly what I’m talking about.

Many of the top answers on this list include everything I already mentioned above, including not having enough time, having a small budget, lack of knowledge and experience, and competition from more dominant brands.

All things considered, small business marketing is no walk in the park. It’s a constant struggle to compete with more established brands who have more money, time, knowledge, and experience than you do.

That being said, if you want to be able to effectively market your small business, you’ve got to do your research, plan, and prepare as much as you can, because failure is not an option.

If you do your marketing the wrong way, you can end up with ineffective campaigns and inconsistent branding that doesn’t speak to your target audience, which can do more harm than good by creating a negative perception of your brand.

But if you don’t do it at all, then you’re not going to get any exposure, and you’ll miss out on valuable opportunities that will be swiftly snatched up by your competition.

With all this in mind, I wanted to publish an article offering some practical advice on how you can succeed in your local small business marketing efforts and gain an edge over your competitors.

So, if you’re looking for local marketing ideas or researching marketing strategies for small business, then you should definitely keep reading.

My Top Tips for Local Small Business Marketing

Arguably, the best small business marketing strategy is to promote your business locally.

It’s more cost-effective than trying to market your business globally, or even nationally, provides a geographic advantage over competitors who don’t operate in your area, and gives you an SEO boost by helping you drive traffic to your website from local search results.

At the same time, it helps you to stand out and get greater exposure by avoiding competition with much larger and more established brands, while allowing you to gain loyal customers in your area and drive word-of-mouth referrals by connecting with those in your community.

With that in mind, below I’ve provided my top small business marketing tips for promoting your small business digitally, and using traditional marketing strategies.

Digital Marketing Strategies

Even with limited digital marketing experience, there’s a lot you can do to effectively connect with your local audience, increase the visibility of your brand, and drive growth.

Here are some digital marketing tips you can use to market your business locally:

Build an Online Presence

If you want to build an impactful online presence, you should start by creating a professional and user-friendly website.

Make sure to choose a clean design that reflects your brand’s personality and values. And if you’re unfamiliar with coding, consider using a user-friendly website builder like Wix, WordPress, or Squarespace.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure to include essential elements such as your business name, contact details, location, products and/or services, and operating hours.

Optimize for Local SEO

Local search engine optimization (SEO) helps your business appear in local search results when people are looking for products or services nearby. Here are some things you can do to boost your SEO:

Google My Business (GMB): Make sure to claim and verify your Google My Business listing. Fill out all the information, including your business category, description, photos, and location, and don’t forget to encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews.

Keyword Research: Identify keywords that potential customers might use when searching for businesses like yours, and then include some of these keywords in your website’s content. But don’t go overboard. Using too many keywords in your content can actually hurt your SEO.

Local Content: Create blog posts and/or articles related to local events, news, or topics that your target audience might be interested in.

Social Media Engagement

Social media platforms are valuable tools for connecting with your local audience, and most of them are free and easy to use.

Start with one or two platforms that align with your target demographic, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter (I’ll never get used to calling it “X”), and then make a point of consistently posting engaging content, including things like:

Visuals: Share high-quality photos and videos of your products, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and customer testimonials.

Local Partnerships: You can also collaborate with other local businesses, share each other’s content, and cross-promote to reach a wider audience.

Online Advertising

If you’re working with a limited budget, there are some cost-effective online advertising methods that you can focus on, including:

Facebook Ads: Use Facebook’s targeting features to reach local users based on their interests, demographics, and location.

Google Ads: Utilize Google’s local targeting options to display your ads when users search for relevant keywords in your area.

Email Marketing

Email marketing allows you to directly connect with your audience, and it’s a great way to build rapport with existing customers and consumers in your local community. You can collect email addresses through both your website and in-store interactions, and then send out regular newsletters with things like:

Promotions: Newsletters provide the perfect opportunity to offer exclusive discounts and promotions to your subscribers.

Valuable Content: You can also share helpful tips, industry insights, local news, or other content that your subscribers might find interesting.

Content Marketing

Creating valuable and relevant content, such as articles, videos, and photos can position you as an expert in your industry and help you attract local customers. But try to avoid making everything a sales pitch, as this typically turns people off. Here are some examples of content you can create:

Local Guides: You can write guides or articles about local attractions, events, or tips that showcase your connection to the community, or explain how your services can provide value to people in your area.

Videos: Another thing you can do is create short videos that highlight your products, services, and team. Keep in mind that videos often capture more attention than text alone.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure to evaluate the content you’re thinking of creating based on whether or not your target audience will find it valuable or want to interact with it.

Engage with Your Audience

If you want to build a loyal local customer base, engagement is key. Here are some simple things you can do to engage with your audience:

Respond to Reviews: Ensure to promptly address both positive and negative reviews in a professional and friendly manner, and don’t get caught up in arguments with people online. Just say your piece in a respectful way and leave it at that.

Answer Questions: Do your best to promptly respond to any customer inquiries on social media and your website.

Traditional Marketing Strategies

In an era dominated by digital technologies, traditional marketing strategies still hold significant value for small business owners looking to connect with their local audience.

Here are some things you can do to make use of these tried-and-true tactics:

Leverage Community Events

Participating in local events provides your business with face-to-face interactions, helping to create a sense of community engagement.

Whenever possible, you should look for opportunities to set up booths, sponsor events, or even host your own gatherings. These interactions offer a chance to showcase your products or services, create lasting impressions, and form personal connections in your community.

Networking and Partnerships

One of the best things you can do to promote your business locally is to forge relationships with other local businesses that share a similar target audience.

Cross-promotion can introduce your business to new customers while reciprocally promoting partner businesses. This involves things like joint promotions, co-hosting events, or simply displaying each other’s marketing materials at your physical locations.

Direct Mail Campaigns

Believe it or not, there are plenty of businesses out there that still send out fliers in the mail.

Direct mail campaigns can be highly targeted and personalized, and depending on what audiences you’re looking to target, you can reach people who are less tech-savvy and wouldn’t be able to find you online anyway.

You can do this by developing visually appealing and informative postcards or flyers that highlight special offers, new arrivals, or upcoming events, and sending them to local addresses.

Print Advertising

Although their reach continues to wane, local newspapers, magazines, and community newsletters continue to be effective platforms for reaching local audiences.

If you can afford it, you should consider placing advertisements in local publications or even contributing articles that showcase your expertise and demonstrate your connection to your community.

Billboards and Signage

It may seem pretty old school, but buying ad space on strategically placed billboards or putting up eye-catching signage is a great way to capture the attention of passersby, especially in areas with high foot or vehicle traffic.

But if you do choose to do this, make sure that you make it memorable and keep your messaging as concise as possible.

Local Radio or TV Spots

Again, this might sound like a blast from the past, but if your budget allows, local radio stations and community television channels can expose your business to a broad local audience.

And if you do decide to run ads on the radio or TV, you might want to consider running special promotions that are made exclusive to listeners or viewers.

Attend Trade Shows or Fairs

Participating in trade shows or local fairs relevant to your industry can put your business in front of a targeted audience that is actively seeking your products and/or services.

But if you want to make a lasting impact, make sure to create appealing displays and engaging materials that will attract visitors to your booth and get them interested in what you have to offer.

Do you need some help marketing your small business in your local community? We’ve been helping small business owners to build their brands and market their businesses for more than 20 years. Contact us today to find out more about what we can do for you.

About the Author, Susan Friesen

Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.

Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.

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